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Burrowing Owl

Athene Cunicularia

Burrowing owls are so named because they live underground in burrows that have been dug out by small mammals like ground squirrels and prairie dogs. They are covered in brown spotted feathers and have long legs. The also sport distinctive white “eyebrows” above bright yellow eyes. They are one of the smallest owls in North America.

Length About 10 inches
Weight Average of about 6 ounces; both males and females are of the same size.

Diet

Staples Small mammals such as moles and mice during late spring and early summer. Later they switch to insects, especially grasshoppers and beetles.
Also known to eat birds, amphibians and reptiles

Population

Current population estimates are not well known but trend data suggests significant declines across their range. Last official estimated place them at less than 10,000 breeding pairs.

Range

Burrowing owls are distributed from the Mississippi to the Pacific and from the Canadian prairie provinces into South America. They are also found in Florida and the Caribbean islands. Burrowing owls have disappeared from much of their historic range.

Behavior

Unlike other owls, burrowing owls are active during the day, especially in the spring when they gather food for their large broods. This species of owl prefers open areas with low ground cover. They can often be found perching near their burrow on fence posts and trees.

Burrowing owls make a tremulous chuckling or chattering call. They also bob their heads to express excitement or distress.

Burrowing owls often nest in loose colonies about 100 yards apart.

Reproduction
Mating Season Early spring
Gestation 28 days
Clutch size 3-12 eggs
The young owls begin appearing at the burrow’s entrance two weeks after hatching and leave the nest to hunt for insects on their own after about 45 days. The chicks can fly well at 6 weeks old.

Threats

The greatest threat to burrowing owls is habitat destruction and degradation caused primarily by land development. Despite their protected status, burrowing owls and their burrows are routinely destroyed during the development process.

Burrowing owls are also threatened by agricultural development, the use of pesticides and efforts to eradicate prairie dogs, which live side by side with burrowing owls, in addition to natural predation by horned owls, hawks, foxes, badgers and even domestic pets.

Legal Status/Protection

In the U.S., the burrowing owl is identified as a *candidate species by the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service. In several states, they are considered a "species of special concern." They are "endangered" in Canada. **Migratory Bird Treaty Act.

*Candidate species are animals and plants which may warrant official listing as threatened or endangered, but there is no conclusive data to give them this protection at the present time.

**The Migratory Bird Treaty Act implements various treaties and conventions between the U.S. and Canada, Japan, Mexico and the former Soviet Union for the protection of migratory birds. Under the Act, taking, killing or possessing migratory birds is unlawful.

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